In a system having plural servers such as an electronic commercial transaction system, when a request from a client is received, messages are exchanged between servers and the process progresses. One example of the electronic commercial transaction system is shown in FIG. 1. In the electronic commercial transaction system, whenever a request is received by a web server, an application server (AP server) is required to perform processing that is necessitated by the request and results of the processing are obtained. Alternatively, a database server (DB server) is required by the request to make a reference to a database or update it, and results of the processing are obtained. In this way, plural messages are exchanged between servers, and processing is carried out. Furthermore, a log of the messages exchanged between the servers is gathered and used to monitor the behavior of the system or for other purposes. Messages required to make a response to one request are recognized as one transaction using keywords contained in the messages.
Where processing for classifying messages in terms of transaction and lining up messages associated with each individual transaction is performed (hereinafter may be referred to as a message linking process), it is conceivable to make a decision as to whether the linking process has been completed using a message pattern for each type of transaction (i.e., whether a full set of messages associated with the transaction has been obtained).
In this method, however, it is necessary to predefine message patterns. Some transactions are found after the system is run and so it is difficult to define all message patterns. In this method, if a transaction not defined as a message pattern is executed, it is impossible to judge correctly whether a full set of messages associated with the transaction has been obtained.
Accordingly, an object of the present technique is to provide a technique for automatic creating of message patterns used in a message linking process.